Newsbriefs

Pata murder an ongoing investigation two years later

It has been two years since the murder of former University of Miami student and football player Bryan Pata, and the investigation is ongoing, according to Miami-Dade Police.

Pata, formerly a criminology major and defensive lineman for the Miami Hurricanes, was shot dead at the age of 22 outside his apartment complex on Nov. 7, 2006.

“This is an ongoing case,” Roy Rutland, detective for the Miami-Dade Police Department, said. “Our investigators have followed leads from the beginning. At this point, we are asking the public to revisit this case and possibly provide additional leads in the case.”

To anonymously submit information about this case, please call 305-471-TIPS or visit www.crimestoppersmiami.com.

Police ask for help in solving Sunset Place burglary

South Miami police are asking for help in identifying two black males who used a sledgehammer to break into the display case in front of Mayor’s Jewelers at the Shops at Sunset Place on Oct. 30.

Both men were captured by surveillance cameras fleeing from the west side of the mall and were also seen by witnesses.

The incident occurred just before 8 p.m., and several pieces of jewelry were stolen from the window display.

South Miami Police are investigating the case and are asking the public to call if they have any information,  said Major Michael Mills of the South Miami Police Department.

Members of the public are urged to call South Miami Police at 305-663-6301, or Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS. A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of these individuals through the Crimestoppers program.

Captive-raised turtles released into the wild, could provide scientific data

Milton and Feebee, two juvenile loggerhead sea turtles raised in captivity, will be released into the Indian River Lagoon near Sebastian Inlet today.

The turtles will be satellite tagged by Kate Mansfield of the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and released by marine conservationist Kirt Rusenko and staff from the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton.

“Since it is only two turtles, this is not truly a “scientific” study, but we hope to tag most if not all of our turtles in the future, and that cumulative data will give us some solid scientific information on the wild behavior of captive-reared turtles,” Rusenko said. “FeeBee [was] already capturing fish in her tank and eating them, I expect she will transition easily to the wild. Milton is more of a mystery as he seems far less aggressive than FeeBee.”

The public can follow the paths of Milton and FeeBee on their adventure into the wild through the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center at www.gumbolimbo.org.